When one feels jealous of other as a matter of love, one would
behave either way: struggling to come between those two who love each other, or
giving up his or her personal affection toward the person whom he or she has
loved. However, taking each way could not give much influence to them. The
former way, as a momentary expression of jealousy, would end without any significant
change in the affection between them, but with recognition of the nature of a
person’s feeling and with maturation of oneself. The latter one would
apparently be vain. But Lord Henry, although being jealous of Sibyl Vane, gives
so considerable an effect on Dorian Gray that this influences even the whole
plot of the novel.
In my perspective, the author implies that Lord Henry is jealous of
Sibyl. Of course it is intermittently mentioned that Lord Henry regards Dorian
as merely an object of his experiment on sources and desirable pursuits of one’s
passion. “…pulse and passion of youth were in him(Dorian)... It was delightful
to watch him. With his beautiful face, and his beautiful soul, he was a thing
to wonder at. It was no matter how (it) all…was destined to end.” However, even
such parts are intentionally distorted to imply a notion that Lord Henry does
not sincerely consider him as a mere object, but explains the world in a cynical
way to benefit and reinforce the relationship between him and Dorian; Lord
Henry says that Dorian’s love-related experiences would be a great study that
would reveal secrets about one’s individualism, and that he hopes Dorian to ‘make
this girl wife… and suddenly become fascinated by someone else.’ Basil
responses to him saying: “You(Lord Henry) don’t mean a single word of all that…
If Dorian Gray’s life were spoiled, no one would be sorrier than yourself.”
Based on his affection toward Dorian, although he acts in a very
restrained manner, he reveals all his astonishment when he hears that Dorian
and Sibyl are engaged. In this part, his responses to Dorian are obviously
atypical of him. Giving doubts as he asks whether ‘did you(Dorian) mention the
word marriage,’ Lord Henry starts to say things that would give a significant
effect on Dorian’s philosophy and would ultimately cause a huge change on his
life.
He murmurs: “Women are a decorative sex.” Just after Dorian explains
his experience and moments of love with Sibyl Vane, Lord Henry instills his
thoughts and consideration about women into Dorian. He says that ‘They(women)
worship us, and are always bothering us to do something for them.’ Then he
claims, “women, …inspires us with the desire to do masterpieces, and always
prevent us from carrying out them.” Those notions of Lord Henry eventually
evoke Dorian’s confirmation of his objectification of women; later, Dorian says
“I want to place her on a pedestal of gold, and to see the world worship the
woman who is mine.” This mention demonstrates his egotistical philosophy of
women as ornaments and his male-centered focus.
“Pleasure is the only thing worth having a theory about.” Lord Henry
attributes all his ‘wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful’ theories to
Nature. “It belongs to Nature… believe me, no civilized man ever regrets a
pleasure…” Due to Lord Henry’s insisting on Dorian to become one with
individualism, namely, self-centered thoughts, Dorian at last focuses only on
his pleasure, his comfort, his love, and his life – the absolute ‘unconscious
egotism.’
After Sibyl Vane suicides, Dorian Gray regards the death of his
lover as a ‘wonderful ending to a wonderful play.’ In front of Lord Henry, he
describes the affair to be a ‘tragedy in which he took a great part, but by
which he has not been wounded.’ Blinded with jealousy, using his eloquent conversation
skills, Lord Henry takes a main role to dye Dorian Gray’s philosophy and individuality
with an excessive egotism.
